11 Incredibly Simple Tips For Great Blogging

And even if you’re just starting out, you probably know that blogging is the easiest way to show off your talents, skills, and ideas.

Let me show you 11 incredibly easy ways to use the power of your blog + content marketing, in order to drive tons of traffic to your site.

Blogging Tip #1: Know Your Audience (like your best friend)

Find out what questions your audience has about the topic.

Hang where your readers spend their time.

Follow related blogs and observe what they post about.

Read their comments on your own blog and on your competitors’s blogs and see what they like to talk about.

Follow relevant Facebook pages and join the Facebook groups with a related interest. (For example, if you are blogging about parenting, then join the Facebook group- “First-time mommies” and you will get to know what problems your audience is facing.)

Figure out what questions are asked by your audience on Quora.

Use keyword tools like the Google Adwords Keyword Planner, AMZ3 Pro, and TrendMiner Pro to find out what keywords people are searching with.

Think back over past phone calls, and customer service emails to know what problems they are dealing with.

QuestionSpy will show you all the questions your readers are asking…so you know what content to write about.

Blogging Tip #2: Think Back

Make a list of every problem you’ve had previously that is related to this topic.

Make a list of questions that are related to those problems.

Write content that shows them the problem you had, and how you solved the problem.

Create simple, step-by-step checklists for your readers so they can follow along easily and solve the same problem.

Blogging Tip #3: Harness Your “Idea Bank”

Write ten ideas for new blog posts every day. (credit: Neil Patel)

Write every idea down and don’t judge them as “good” or “bad”, just write them down.

Always carry something to store your ideas. The often come and go in a matter of seconds. “Gotta catch ’em all”

Write ideas down, so you can get more ideas. Writing ideas down will keep more ideas flowing in. It’s just how your brain works.

Refer to your “Idea Bank” before you write your next blog post. You’ll be amazed at all the ideas you have when you sit down to write.

Blogging Tip #4: Start With An Outline

Create an outline before starting to write your article. (I use Workflowy.)

Start with ONE BIG IDEA (What is the one thing you want your reader to learn?)

Write down points that will get your idea across.

Rearrange the points in logical order.

Convert your points into section subheadings. Now you have a clear plan before you even start writing.

Look for gaps. (What areas need a little more explaining? Add them into your outline.)

Determine your word count.

Distribute the word count to each part of your outline.

Just. Start. Writing. (No spelling checks, no re-reading or editing while writing. Just type until you have the number of words needed for that section, then go to the next one.)

Blogging Tip #5: Be Real (humans only, please)

Imagine your reader is sitting across from you right now. Who is he? What’s his problem? What does he want to know? What are you going to talk about today?

Write the article as if you are talking to them. Use simple words. Be yourself. (For cryin’ out loud, just be yourself!)

Tell them a relevant story. (“Well, in my case, we were…”)

Don’t beat around the bush. Get your idea across.

Include as much useful information as possible. Don’t just tell them the “good parts”…tell them the stuff that went horribly wrong.

Be the best. Make your post the one place they come back to again and again for reference.

Add more value. Just when you think you’ve said everything, throw in even more value.

Blogging Tip #6: Add More Proof

Add more proof. You’ve got to prove you know what you’re talking about if you want them to believe you.

Go through surveys and reports related and link the results in your article.